


traditions

by hariboo



Category: New Girl
Genre: Gen, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-25
Updated: 2011-12-25
Packaged: 2017-11-05 18:56:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/409890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hariboo/pseuds/hariboo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>on the 25th they end up at cece's family christmas party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	traditions

The 25th they end up at Cece's family big Christmas party like Jess has done she was thirteen and she would pack her overnight backpack and head over to Meyers house as moral support for Cece and also: awesome food. The gingerbread cookies Mrs. Meyers makes are the most amazing things, ever. Cece's family has always done Christmas in a Big Way and her parents have always welcome Jess into the family as one of their own.

This year the Jess invitation extends over to Schmidt who as soon as he hear about her going to Cece's for the 25th suddenly felt like not boycotting the holiday as he does every year. Nick, well, gets dragged along. Jess and Schmidt make quiet the duo they're learning.

Halfway during the party Mrs Meyers gives Jess a big hug and tells her to make sure her sad friend has some food, rolling her eyes to where Nick is slouching at the corner of the living room, beer in hand, like he wants to disappear into the wall.

Jess giggles at Mrs Meyers as the woman gives her kisses on the cheek and makes her way to Nick.

"If you're not careful, Cece's mom might just adopt you," she says walking up to him, eggnog in hand.

"Huh?"

Jess laughs. "Nothing. _Soooo_ , how come you're here lurking in the corner?"

"I think one of Cece's aunt proposed to me. I'm hiding out in case."

"That would be Aunt Vivian. She gets handsy after a couple ciders and according to Cece is apparently turning into a lion—which I hear is the next stage after cougar." Jess sips at her nog, eye sweeping the room at the familiar faces of Cece's family. "One year she proposed to me, you know. Cece's Uncle Perdip kept calling me a boy and that year I have very unfortunate haircut."

Nick snorts, then laugh. His eyes trail over her hair making Jess want to reach up and pull at it. She doesn't.

"Uncle Perdip blind?"

Jess shakes her head. "Nope. It was very bad haircut. It was the year Cece thought she might want to be a hairdresser."

Nick smirks. "And you were her first customer?"

Grinning, Jess turns to him, making her eyes big and shocked. "How'd you guess?" Then, laughing, she grabs him by the arm and pulls him through the every growing crowd of Cece's family towards the kitchen. Nick tuck her arm into his and lets her.

"Wild guess," he deadpans. Jess rolls her eyes. "So do you do this every year?" he asks.

Looking around the house and spying Schmidt across the room in what looked to be a deep conversation with one of Cece's grandfather, Baabaa Salil, Jess shrugs. "My mom and dad aren't big on the holidays and as you can tell," she waves her hand across the room Jess smiles.

"Yeah, I can see."

Jess pulls him to one of the quieter corners of the party. One thing she learned early one coming to the Meyer's Christmas Parties: where to hide out. Because Cece's mother has an eye and ear and nose for when someone in her house was not feeling the holiday spirit and made it her mission to fix it. So you had to know your corners. Jess's preferred corner was by the kitchen. Near enough to slip in if need be.

"It was always the best time of the holidays. You should see how they do New Year."

Nick grunts, taking a drag from his beer.

"You coming here for New Year's too?"

"Almost every year. They sometimes do Diwali in October, but I've only been a couple of times, but they do a big New Years party too at the end of the month. It's fun. We should come on the 31st." Across the room Jess spots Cece talking to her mother and when they look over to Jess, she grins at them. They grin back but Jess knows the look in those matching brown eyes. Cece and her mother are up to something. They always get like this during when they're together. She remembers the year they tried to set her up with Cece's cousin David and wonders what it is this year.

Taking a drink from her eggnog she almost misses what Nick says.

"I picked up a shift at the bar on the 31st."

"Wha—Oh."

For some reason it makes cheeks burn that Nick is working on New Year's Eve even though it makes sense since it's probably one of the biggest drinking holidays, but first his missed his family's Christmas (for her, a voice inside her that sounds too much like her best friend says) and now he's working on New Year. Jess swallows and doesn't even really think about the words that she says next.

"Well, then I guess I'll be there too."

Nick gives her a soft and very quick look. "You don't have too."

"No, it'll be fun! Cece will be my date and we can drink and party like it's 1999—except it's 2011 and we already partied like it was 1999." She says, leaning against the wall, tilting her face up to Nick. Their eyes catch and Jess acutely feels how Nick's eyes drop to her lip and follow the line of her jaw down to the sweetheart neckline of her red and white polka dot dress. The cardigan she paired with it is somewhere in the living room draped over one of the chairs because it's warm inside Cece's parents house. And getting warmer, Jess notes absently.

She swallows, trying to think of something to say because she's thinking about how Cece mentioned men's feet a couple weeks ago and she knows without looking that Nick's point straight at her and he's in her personal space because Jess has never been great with the concept and about three minutes ago her free hand was wrapped around his arm. Now his arm is brushing hers and he's all up in her personal space even more. His body is turned towards her and he's dipping his head like he's really paying attention to her babbling about New Years plans even though she's half forgotten what she's saying.

Opening her mouth to say _something else_ , Jess never get a chance to say it because Cece's mother is there, camera in hand.

"Picture time, darling!" She grins and Jess and Nick shift and jump like a live wire is cut between them.

"Mrs. Meyers," Jess begins.

"Nope, you have to, Jess. You're under the mistletoe." She lifts her camera up, pointing with it to the spring above her head and Jess feels her cheeks burring up.

Oh, crap.

She didn't even notice it mostly because she's used to forgetting about the mistletoe the Meyers put up. When she was younger she and Cece avoided it or if they caught under it they were each others kiss go-to person. Cece has been known to jump across the room to save herself from of her cousins or annoying dates at Jess. And these last few years when Jess was with Spencer she had never really thought about the pecks given or received because she was confident about her relationship since he rarely came with her to Cece's parents party, but now she isn't with Spencer or Paul and from across she can Cece's evil smile which means she isn't coming to Jess' rescue.

"Mrs Meyers, I don't—"

"It's fine, Jess." Nick cuts in. Jess' eyes snap to his.

"It is?"

Nick shrugs. "Holiday tradition and all. No big deal."

She blinks. "Right, right, no big deal." The words echo in her ears.

"Okay, perfect! Picture time!" Mrs Meyer lifts her camera and Jess feels Nick's hand wrap around her waist.

She barely gets a chance to straighten when Nick's lips close over hers and okay, wow.

That's one good kiss, Jess thinks, as her lips open a little and Nick's do too — somewhere in there's a flash — before they're gone. He pulls away and Jess bites her lips. There's a slight taste of beer on them and she licks them quickly before turning to Mrs. Meyers.

The older woman she grinning wide, muttering a happy 'perfect' as she checks her camera. She looks up from the display and reaches over to give Jess two pecks on each cheek and then pats Nick on the arm. "Perfect," she repeats.

Chuclking, Jess thinks that yeah that was the word she was thinking about too.

Beside her Nick is smiling and as the look at each other their smiles grow.

"Sorry about that," Jess extends because good kiss aside the moment was kinda awkward.

He does his half smirk and shrug. "Merry Christmas, Jess."

"Yeah, Merry Christmas."

Across the room Cece is making kissy faces at her and Jess laughs wanting to throw something at her friend. She's always horrible when she's right.


End file.
